In '41 my grandfather was 36, draftcard with two minor
sons. My dad joined in '44 age 17.
After Pearl Harbor, some of the kids that were in my
dad's classes never showed up the next day.
They were the Japanese FDR rounded up and put in camps.
Most if not all were good citizens and sons were in WWII
There was an imminent threat of invasion by the Japanese on the West Coast after Pearl Harbor.
The Japanese did invade Alaska and made balloon attacks on Oregon.
And it was unknown how many of those put in camps were would-be saboteurs. Or would have been shot by angry or frightened citizens if seen on the street.
It is a rose-colored glasses Monday morning quarterback call to fault FDR on the internment camps.
However, the property confiscation was a travesty.
There were many ways to serve in the country in WWII, and many Japanese-American citizens did volunteer and fought in Europe. I feel the ones who were in internment camps also served. I believe they should be proud of the sacrifice they made for the safety and peace of mind of the country.
But as tough as their service was and as unfair as it must have seemed to them, it in no way compares to what hundreds of thousands of our Marines went through in the Pacific and the unfairness endured by the tens of thousands who came back severely wounded or in coffins.
My Dad was Navy Air Crew in WWII in the Atlantic, communications officer and sometimes naval intelligence. That was the best use of his skills, as he was already doing this job for Panagra (Pan American-Grace lines) in South America on Pearl Harbor Day. Although he was a crack shot with a rifle, an inherited male family trait, and would have been an excellent sniper.